Hosiery and the mode of making same.



No. 864,433. PATENTED AUG. 27, 1907.

R, W. SCOTT.

HOSIERY AND THE MODE OF MAKING, SAME.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

No. 864,433. PATENTED AUG.'27, 1907.

y R. w. soon". HOSIERY AND THE MODE 0P MAKING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT! 20, 1905.

' 3SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

No. 864,433". PATENTED AUG. 27, 1907. R. W. SCOTT.

HOSIERY AND THE MODE OF MAKING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1905 3SHEETSSHEET 3 pfwf I 1% j i m Iwmzw I RO ERT w. seer r, "or

UNITED simples PATENT OFFICE.

LEEDS POINT, NEW JEnsEY, Assienon ci cuit-HALF ro LoUis i). WILLIAMS, OF oeon'rz, PENNSYLVANIA,

'HOISIERY AND THE MODE OF MAKING SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 907.

Application filed September 20, 1905. Serial No. 279,308.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT W. Soon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leeds Point, Atlantic county, New Jersey; have invented certain Improvements in Hosiery and .in the Mode of Making. the Same, of which thefollowin'g is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of machineknit hosiery and has reference to the formation of a welt or hem at the top of the log by a certain operation of the machine upon which the stocking is knitted. I

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1, is a plan view, on an exaggerated scale, but with much less than the actual number of needles .used in the machine, and illustratingthe relation of. the needles and disposition of the yarn thereupon in producing the first course of'the knitting; Fig. 2, is a similar view alter a few of the following courses have been knitted, this view, however, illustrating the cylinder needles in an expanded position so as to spread and fully illustrate the knitted web; Fig. 3, is a sectional view of the essential parts of the machine after the desired length 01' web iorthe welt has been knitted; Figs. 4, 5 and 6, are similar views illustrating successive steps in the operation of transierring stitches from the dial needles to the cylinder needles; and Fig. 7, is an exaggerated view illustrating a modification of the invention.

Ordinarily, long stockings composed of plain web, and made by one continuous operation on a circular seamless knitting machine capable of knitting seamless heel and toe pockets automatically, have the stocking finished at the top by turning in a hem thereon and sewing the inturned edge of the knitted web to a folded portion of the body thereof, so that the stitches will be formed through the web adjacent to said edge and partly through the body web, the needle passing through the folded portion of the latter so as to produce what is termed. a concealed stitch. Great care is necessary on the part of the operator in performing this sewing operation, because it is customary to trim the and unless this line oi stitches is disposed closely ndjacent to the folded edge of the web the latter is likely to be cut by the shearing mechanism oi the. machine, and these out portions must be subsequently mended, thus involving additional expense, and, at the best, producing an imperfect stocking; furthermore, by this practice, the excess of material trimmed off by the cutting mechanism of the sewing machine is necessarily wasted. f

In carrying out my improved method of forming welts or helns at the upper end of the log tube of the stocking, all oi these objections are avoided and a perfeet turned welt; such as characterizes what is termed full fashioned hosiery is formed upon a seamless tube and by means which do not interfere with the seamless tube with heel and toe pockets thereon, but

having also means for governing the operation of one i set of needles independently of the ther as herein after set forth, the needles 3 being guided by a dial similar to that of an ordinary rib knitting nmchine. The latter needles, liowevm', c 1r'iperate with the cylinder needles only in the welt forming operation, hence at other times the machine operates simply as a machine for producing plain tubular seamless web, with heel and toe pockets.

Incommencing the stocking, according to the prefer able method, everyotbcr cylinder noedle 2 is out of action and is replaced by a dial needle 3, the iirst course of yarn a; being applied alternately to acylimlcr needle 1. and to a dial needle 3, as shown in Fig. 1. The dial needles 3 are then retracted and held in the retracted position soastoretain theloopsorstilches of yarn which have been applied to them, and the cylinder needles 2 are then brought into action, and seamless circular web is knitted'upon all of the cylinder needles 1 and 2,

' as shown in Fig. 2, until a hand of the desired width 1" or the well or hem has been produced, said bnnd depending between the cylinder and dial needles as shown in Fig. 3.

required The cylinder needles 1, are now project-ml, but not to such an extent as to clear their stitches, as shown in Fig. 25. and the dial needles 3 are then thrust outwardly between said needles 1 to an nlmormal extcnt, as shown in Fig. 4, so that while corluin portions of the knitted web will be held within the circle of cylinder needles 1, intervening portions of said web will, by engagcu'ientwith thehookod inner ends or portions of the st ems ol' the dial needles 3, be carried outwardly beyond said circle of needles as shown in said Fig. 4. The. intervening cylinder needles 2 are then raised to such an extent as to enter stitches ol' the fabric drawn outward by said din] needles, the pnrtsbciug so constructed, by preference, that the stitches thus engaged I will be those which are knil led in a course following the loops first formed on the needles it, as shown in Fig. 4, and by the dotted circles 11' in Fig. 3., the construction of the dial needles permitting the cylinder needles to rise in the same. plane as said dial noodles, and directly in the rear of the stitch-engaging portions oi the same. The cylinder "needles 2 are then lowered so that their books are below the level of the shanks oi the dial nocdlcs 3, as shown in Fig. 5, and so id dial needles are then retracted, as shown in Fig. (i, so as to cast the stitches upon them, ordinary circular knitting upon all of the The machine should be equipped with the ordinary web holders, no tnkoup or tension devices being cylinder needles being then resumed for the production of the stocking leg, which will thus have formed upon it a properly turned Welt'orhem integrally united with the seamless circular tube.

Instead of employing, in the dial, half as many 'needles 3 as there are in the cylinder, and disposing them so that said dial needles correspond with alternate cylinder needles, 2, there may be only one dial needle for every three, four or more cylinder. needles, in which case there will be a correspondingly less number of points of attachment of the inturned edge of the welt to the body fabric,,or the dial needles 3 may be arranged in pairs or groups corresponding with like pairs or 7 groups 2 of cylinder needles, in which case the attachment of the inturued edge of the welt to the body, instead of being by single stitches, will be by pairs or groups of stitches as will be readily understood.

If it is desired to unite the inturned edge of the welt with every Wale oithe tubular web constituting the body of the fabric; this can be accomplished by providing as many dial needles as there are cylinder needles, all of thedial needles being projected, while the cylinder needles are down, and said cylinder needles being then raised, so as to engage with stitches of the knitted web, the dial needles on their retraction crowd'- ing or being shogged laterally past the projected cylinder needles, and casting off the loops originally iormed upon said dial needles. In this case, as the dial needles cast their loops or stitches directly onto the raised cylinder needles, the latter may if desired, be projected into the loops on the dial needles, instead of into a subsequently formed stitch. The transfer of stitches 'to the cylinder needles from a'full set of dial needles, may also, if desired, be effected by successive opera tions, that is to say, the stitches may be transferred from alternate dial needles to alternate cylinderneedies in the manner first described and then in like manner the transfer of the intervening stitches may be efiected from the remaining dial needles to the remaining cylinder needles.

It should be understood that the method of knitting with an initial setting-up course, as previously described, applies to the starting of an initialweb. Seamless tubu'lar web with heel and toe pockets maybe produced in continuous lengths and a setting-up course formed between successive circular courses of stitches, the fabric being afterwards-cut, so that one or more courses of stitches will project beyond the uniting course, these courses of stitches being subsequently raveled out up to said uniting course. The preferable plan, however, will be to start each stocking web independently; afew circular courses being knitted after the completion of the toe pocket, and the web being then cast from the needles, leaving-the latter free for the production of they next initial setting-up course; It will be evident also, that, instead of introducing the alternate cylinder needles 2, immediately after the formation oi the setting-up course upon the needles 1 and 3, tubular web may be knitted upon the cylinder needles l, for about one-half of the length necessary for the welt, and the alternate cylinder needles .2, may then be brought into action, the result being that the inter? nal portion of the welt will have only one-half as many wales as the outer or exposed portion of-the same, but

as the eyelet holes y formed at the point of introduction;

of the needles 2 will, this case,.be at the top or in the inner portion of the welt, they-will not, in practice, prove objectionable. This form of web is shown in Fig. 7 ,which however, shows a much less number of courses than would be present in the actual web.

In some of the claims, I-have used the termsprimary? and secondary needles, the term primary applying to those-needles uponwhichthetubular web is produced, and the term secondary to those needles which receive yarn only in making the setting-up course and effect such disposition of the knitted web that the other needles may engage with the same, and it-is evident that although, in the present case,.the cylinder needles are the primary needles and the dial needles are the secondary needles, the reverse of this may be true, without departing from the rnain spirit of my invention;

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters, Patent:

turned welt or hein thereon, with alternate stitches of acourse of the inturned portion integrally united with path of needles of. the primary set, engaging said loops 01 stitches by said primary needles, and then retiring the needles or the secondary set and casting the stitches there from. i

- 5 .'The mode herein described of producing a machineknit web having an integrally united turned hem or welt thereon, said mode'consistlng in first forming a setting-up course of stitches upon two sets of needles, retiring the secondary set but permitting them to retain their stitches,

knlttlng a proper number of courses of stitches upon me dies of the' primary set, projecting the needles of the sec-.

ondary set so as to carry loops or stitches of the web into the path of alternate needlesof the primary set, engaging said loops or stitches-by said alternate primary needles, and then retiring the needles of the secondary setaud' casting the stitches therefrom;

. 6.'The mode herein described of producing a knitted .web having an integrally united turned hem or welt thereon, said mode consisting in first forming a setting-up course of stitches upon two sets of needles, retiring the secondary set, but permitting'them to retain'their stitches,

knitting a proper number '-of courses of stitches upon needies of the prlm'ary'set, projecting the needles of the secondary set while the corresponding primary needles are retracted, thereby carrying certain stitches of the web mm the'path ot saidretracted primary needles, then en- 'guging said stitches by said primary needles,;'and then retiring the-needles of'the secondary set and casting the stitches 'lzhere'from. 7.' flhe mode hereindescribed of producing admitted vweb having an integrally united turned hem or'welttherc on, said mode consisting in first forming a setting-up course "of stitches upon two sets of needles, retiring the scenes secondary set but permitting them to retain their stitches, bringing into action needles of the primary set correspond in; to said retired secondary needles, knitting a proper number of courses of stitches nponthe needles of the primary set, projt ting the needles of the secondary set, so as to carry certain stitches of the web into the path of the corresponding primary needles, then engaging said stitches by said primary needles and then retiring the needles of the secondary set and casting the stitches therefrom.

The mode herein described of producing a knitted web having an integrally united turned hem'or welt thereon, said mode consisting in. first forming a setting-up course of stitches upon two sets of needles, retiring the secondary set but permitting thenl to retain their stitches, bringing into action needles of the primary set corresponding to said retired secondary needles, knitting a proper nuniber of courses of stitches upon the needles of the pri' mary set. projccting'the needles of the secondary set, when the corresponding primary needles are retracted, so as to carry certain stitches of the web into the path of the corresponding primary needles, then engaging said stitches by said primary needles and then retiring the needles of the secondary set and casting the stitches therefrom,

9 The mode herein described of producing a knitted \veh having an iutc ally united turned hem or Welt thereon, said mode consisting in first forming a setting-up cou of stitches upon two sets of needles, retiring the secondary set but permitting them to retain their stitches, knitting a proper number of courses of stitches upon needies of the primary set, projecting the needles of the secondary set so as to carry into the path of corresponding and retracted primary needles, stitches of the web which have been formed subsequently to those upon the projected secondary needles, engaging said stitches by said primary needles, and then retiring the needles of the secondary set and casting the stitches therefrom.

10. The mode herein described of producing a knitted web having an integrally united turned hem or welt thereon, said mode consisting in first forming a setting-up course of stitches upon two sets of needles, retiring the secondary set but permitting them to retain theirstitchcs, bringing into action needles of the primary set corresponding to said retired secondary needles, knitting a proper number of courses of stitches upon the needles of the primary set, projecting the needles of the secondary set so as to carry into the path of corresponding and retracted pri mary needles. stitches of the web which have been formed subsequently-to those upon the projected secondary needles, engaging said stitches by said primary needles, and then retiring the needles of the secondary set and casting the stitches therctronr In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification. in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

nonnirr w. seo'r'r.

Witnesses KATE A. Brianna, Jos, IT. KLuIN. 

